Historic third National Games gold makes Ceci Lee undisputed queen of Hong Kong cycling

Ceci Lee Sze-wing crowned herself the undisputed queen of Hong Kong cycling on Monday, adding a historic third gold medal to her 15th National Games collection, moments after Siobhan Haughey had won two bronze in as many minutes. The pair shone brightest on a day of mixed results for the city’s athletes, as Coleman Wong Chak-lam, who has yet to lose a set, eased into the quarter-finals of the men’s singles tennis, Angus Ng Ka-long bowed out of the badminton in his third – and probably last – Games, and the fencers all missed out. It was the women who dominated the day, none more so than the 24-year-old Lee, who is quickly living up to – and even surpassing – the high standards set by her predecessor, Sarah Lee Wai-sze. While Sarah Lee has two Olympic bronze medals to her name, she has only two National Games gold medals and they came four years apart. Ceci Lee now has four, in the road race in 2021 and this year, the Madison and on Monday the omnium. And no Hongkonger has ever won three at the same event. “I hope some young girls are inspired and want to do what she’s done,” Herve Dargone, the cycling team’s head coach, said. “She is a great image for Hong Kong. She is a nice person, she is real and true. She cried last year [at the Paris Olympics], then had the happiness today. This is a very inspiring image for cycling in Hong Kong.” Lee said the size of the crowd at a packed Hong Kong Velodrome had come as a surprise given it was a Moday, but the support “helped me a lot”. “I am really excited,” Lee said. “I never thought about three gold medals.” Her triumph was welcomed by spectators in the stands, online, and afterwards by Secretary for Culture, Tourism and Sport Rosanna Law Shuk-pui, who also congratulated Haughey on her achievements. “Lee Sze-wing showcased her strong spirit and great perseverance in the competitions,” Law said. “Winning a total of three gold medals in the 15th National Games, she fully displayed her extraordinary capabilities, demonstrating the exceptional strength of Hong Kong cyclists again.” Cindy Yu arrived at the Velodrome at around 6pm specifically to watch Lee compete, and said it was purely a coincidence she had managed to get a ticket to the biggest event in town. Admitting to not being very familiar with the rules of the omnium elimination race she watched first, where riders are knocked out every two laps, Yu still said she was “very nervous watching the contest”. “I am so happy for her [Lee], she’s done so well because they’ve worked hard for so long, not just today. It’s an achievement from years of effort,” she said. Amy Li, an office clerk in her thirties, said she got a ticket for the race because she wanted to be present to support Hong Kong athletes and thought they were “particularly brilliant”. The gold was celebrated across social media, with one user on RedNote hailing Lee, saying the cyclist’s “perseverance and determination are inspiring”. Haughey, meanwhile, proved that it was entirely possible to swim in two finals just five minutes apart and still finish on the podium in both. The 28-year-old, who already had two golds to her name, picked up a first bronze in the women’s 50 metres breaststroke, touching the wall in 30.71 seconds. Gold went to Asian record holder Tang Qianting in 30.00, with silver taken by Yang Chang in 30.11. After that, Haughey jumped out of the pool, raced back to the changing rooms, put her tracksuit top back on and walked out again with lights flashing and music blaring for the 50m freestyle. “It was a chance to challenge myself,” Haughey said. “I worked closely with my coach and had a good plan to finish the first event and transition smoothly and immediately to the starting point for another one. “Competing in two events so close together was a real challenge that I had never done before. I just wanted to see my capability and I am happy to have earned two bronze medals.” The Education University of Hong Kong is also having a good Games. Lee is one of its student-athletes, and her gold was the fifth the institution can lay claim to supporting. Rugby sevens star Cado Lee Ka-to and artistic swimming twins Wang Liuyi and Wang Qianyi got theirs on Friday, with Lee’s third the icing on the cake. “Lee has delivered phenomenal performances over recent days, competing tirelessly against her opponents and exemplifying the true spirit of athleticism,” said Professor John Lee Chi-Kin, the university’s president. Additional reporting by Stephy Zhang and Ambrose Li

Historic third National Games gold makes Ceci Lee undisputed queen of Hong Kong cycling

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Lee takes omnium crown in front of packed crowd at city’s Velodrome, moments after Siobhan Haughey wins two bronze in five minutes

Lee takes omnium crown in front of packed crowd at city’s Velodrome, moments after Siobhan Haughey wins two bronze in five minutes